1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to track lighting systems, particularly of a kind having plug-in auxiliary power tracks.
2. Description of Prior Art
Track lighting systems are being manufactured and marketed by several companies. One such company is Halo Lighting Division of McGraw-Edison Company, Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007; whose track lighting systems and products are described in their Catalog No. A8100.
Conventional track lighting systems are designed to operate from an ordinary utility power line and to have regular 120 Volt/60 Hz voltage on the track conductors. A track may have one or more pairs of such track conductors. The lighting units plugged into the track must be able to operate directly from this 120 Volt/60 Hz voltage.
Low voltage incandescent lamps, particularly Halogen lamps, have proven to be particularly attractive for track lighting purposes, and are being used to a growing degree. However, these low-voltage/Halogen lamps are designed to operate at a voltage of 12 Volt or less, and therefore have to be powered by way of voltage step-down transformation means. Thus, at present, whenever low-voltage/Halogen lamps are being used in track lighting systems, each such low-voltage/Halogen lamp has to be powered by way of such a voltage step-down transformation means; which implies that each lighting unit has to contain such a voltage step-down transformation means--a practice that results in costly, large and relatively heavy track lighting units.
Against this background, it appears useful to provide for a track lighting system a special auxiliary power track; a special power track that can readily be plugged into and supported by the existing power track and that provides on its track conductors a voltage that permits the use therewith of a number of low-voltage/Halogen lamps without the need for using with each individual lamp a voltage transformation means operative to convert the 120 Volt/60 Hz voltage to the requisite low lamp operating voltage.